The Bishops expressed their concern about growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Mississippi and pointed out that such legislation taken on the local level only serves to further divide a state already marked by “a troublesome past, with biases and discrimination between cultural and ethnic groups.”

In addition, the bishops state that “for our part, in exercising our responsibility as leaders of Christian communities, we call for adherence to basic Gospel mandates of love, care, and concern for our neighbors” and urge Christians to follow Jesus’ example “to show love of God through love of our brothers and sisters.”